Hello! It has been almost an entire month since I last posted and that marks my biggest (unplanned, but welcomed) break in blogging, ever. I found that I did not have much to say lately so blogging took a seat in the way back of the bus. I got a notification that I had to renew my URL so I decided that was a sign to start posting on the regular again (relatively speaking, of course).

All though my running is minimal (about 10 miles a week), I am enjoying it very much lot right now. I am not training yet so I head out whenever I want to (or skip it when I am not feeling it). Last Monday night I ran a local 5k with Jennie in tow. It was hilly and it was hard but I finished in 25:16 (good enough for 3rd place AG)! This was my 3rd race with the stroller (so I am obviously now an expert).

I generally will only run with the stroller in very small races. With that said, here are some of my tips for racing with the stroller:

Always check the race website to see if strollers are allowed. If it isn’t mentioned, shoot an email to the race director and ask. It would suck to show up to a race (without a babysitter) and strollers aren’t allowed!

BABY #jenniefizz

Check out the course or ask around ahead of time. Nothing like a surprise monster hill or a long stretch of uneven pavement. During the race last week, part of the road was choppy from construction and even though I slowed down a lot to go over it, the stroller sort of skidded out and it scared the CRAP out of me (I ran the remainder of the race with a white-knuckle death grip on the handlebar).

Prepare your child (as best as possible, toddlers are extremely unpredictable lol). Give them snacks or a drink or their favorite toys. I generally stuff her toys into the pockets of the stroller or tie the toy to the stroller because she tends to catapult things out of the stroller when she is “done” with them!

I personally like to start near the front. Though you may be careful as hell to avoid hitting anyone with the front wheel, other people dodge in front of you (and may not even know you are behind them) and it is very possible to clip some heels and it could end painfully for other runners.

Talk to your child during the race! Ask if they are having fun! Point out cute doggies and tell them to say hi and wave to spectators! I like to make it a fun experience for my daughter as well.

General stroller running tips (what has worked for me):

Push with one arm and use the other for momentum. Rotate pushing arms.

Gran handlebar with both hands for control when running up and down hills.

Never assume cars see you

Time stroller runs around nap time 🙂

If you want to run a race that is stroller-friendly, visit RunStrollerRun.com. It is a great resource for finding stroller-friendly events in your area.

I keep staring at the “new post” screen on my blog lately but never end up writing anything. I am running and exercising and living life as usual but I don’t feel like I have anything important enough to publish. I’m not training (yet), I am not pregnant (yet), I am just bo-ring.

Life is the same. I work, I exercise, I spend as much time with family as possible. Each week is similar…

Every Tuesday I take a yoga class at 6 AM.

Sometimes I am the only one that shows up and I get a 1:1 session!

Every Wednesday morning I meet my friend Stephanie for some speedwork at a local track.

All of these activities are done around 5:30-6:00 AM, which means most weekdays call for a 5:00 AM wake up! I am so tired but it is the only time I can get stuff done. I need to leave my house by 7 AM to get into NYC so early mornings are the only option. I refuse to sacrifice my (already minimal) time with Jennie.

Weekends have been my savior. We try to spend most weekends with my family or Mike’s (or both). Nothing makes me happier! Last weekend, I ran a local (and terribly humid) 5k with my MIL and finished in 23:08 (4th female, 1st AG). Ruth finished 3rd AG and PR’d by a whole minute. She is my hero. We celebrated with mimosas 🙂

After the race we went to my aunt and uncle’s house to spend time with my grandmother (she was visiting from PA).

SISTERS!

I don’t expect much to change in the near future. I picked a goal 5k race and it is on Labor Day weekend so I pushed back my 5k training. It will begin July 13!

That’s about it for now 🙂

What time of day do you prefer to work out? Who else joins the sunrise for exercise?

This past Saturday, I drove to Long Island for a 5k to support the Quinn Madeleine Foundation (the funds raised aid in the prevention of, and support research on, treatment and a cure for Niemann-Pick Disease Type A, and to facilitate memorable experiences for children under age 3 who have been diagnosed with a terminal or life-threatening illness. My BIL’s coworker started the organization, in memory of her daughter, Quinn, who passed away at a devastatingly young age of 14 months. The vibe was emotional but fantastic. Unfortunately, it started pouring as we were called to the start of the 5k. Fortunately, a mom in my running group graciously gave me a cover for the BOB stroller so Jennie was completely dry! It was a small race, which I love! I didn’t wear a watch so I don’t know my splits but I think I maintained a pretty even pace and was able to speed up during the last mile. I crossed the finish line at 23:44 (7:38 avg) and was the second female (I guess technically the third, since Jennie crossed in front of me)!

I am so happy I was able to be part of the (1st) 5k for the foundation and hope to go back every year!

I’m also so happy with the results and celebrated afterwards by eating a huge meal at the diner with my family! I am seriously loving running short-distances right now and plan to race them all summer! It is a very welcomed break from half marathon training.

I am looking to add a few more as well! I don’t want to sign up for too many because I never really know where I will be on the weekends (we like to go to our parents’ places on the weekends during the summer).

I *might* buy the Runner’s World 8 week “Break 20 minutes 5k” plan and adjust as needed. LOL I am not trying to break 20 minutes, I am just trying to get back down to 21-22 minutes for now. I am not positive if I feel like following a plan right now though so that is still up in the air.

Quick knee pain update: it feels so much better. Most days are completely pain-free. The only time it hurts is when I am sitting too long at work or on the train (again, my commute is quite literally causing me pain:) I’ve been going to PT 2x a week (at 6am), and doing a set of strength exercises at home everyday. I also foam roll every day!

Meet Ashley

Welcome to Running Bun! I am Ashley, a working-mom who loves running and training for races, attempting yoga inversions, a strong cocktail, and a good dose of sarcasm. This blog is where I share a lot of random thoughts about the above with some parenting woes mixed in for good measure.